Matthew Stafford and Rams surge in second half to defeat winless Chargers

For much of Sunday’s game between the Rams and the Chargers, it was impossible to distinguish:

Which team had arrived at SoFi Stadium winless?

The Chargers, who had not won a game since last season, looked the part.

But so did the supposedly we’re-ready-to-make-a-run Rams.

VIDEO | 01:42

Rams overcome rough start to defeat winless Chargers

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Gary Klein breaks down what went right for the Rams in a 24-9 win over the Chargers at SoFi Stadium on Sunday.

🏈 Rams 24, Chargers 9 — FINAL

After a dreadful first half on offense, the Rams recovered in the second half to defeat the Chargers and improve to 4-4 on the season.

The Chargers, who were shut out in the second half after three field goals by Cameron Dicker in the first half, fell to 0-7 for the first time since 2000.

Matthew Stafford completed 17 of 25 passes for 157 yards with a touchdown and an interception. for the Rams.

Justin Herbert completed 24 of 32 passes for 257 yards, with two interceptions for the Chargers.

🏈 Rams 24, Chargers 9 — 6:39 left in the fourth quarter

The Chargers failed to convert on fourth and nine, with a reception to tight end Oronde Gadsden II coming up just shy of the necessary yardage to give the Rams the ball at their 17-yard line.

Josaiah Stewart sacked Herbert for a nine-yard loss two plays before the failed fourth-down try.

Josh Wallace’s tackle on Gadsden halted a 10-play, 57-yard drive.

🏈 Rams 24, Chargers 9 — 3:41 left in the third quarter

Puka Nacua caught a short pass and turned it into an 18-yard touchdown as the Rams appeared to be taking control.

Trent McDuffie’s interception of a Justin Herbert pass set up the two-play touchdown drive.

Matthew Stafford has completed 14 of 22 passes for 141 yards and a touchdown, with an interception.

Nacua has 10 catches for 82 yards and a touchdown.

However, McDuffie sustained a back injury on the ensuing Chargers possession and is listed as questionable to return.

🏈 Rams 17, Chargers 9 — 10:42 left in the third quarter

Blake Corum broke free for a 23-yard touchdown run on the Rams’ first possession of the second half.

Corum carried the load during the eight-play, 74-yard drive.

He rushed four times for 32 yards before Matthew Stafford completed passes of 11 and 13 yards to receiver Puka Nacua.

Corum took it from there.

Corum has rushed for 63 yards in eight carries.

On the ensuing Chargers possession, Rams cornerback Jaylen Watson sustained a shoulder injury and is questionable to return.

🏈 Rams 10, Chargers 9 — HALFTIME

Kyren Williams scored on a one-yard touchdown run with 19 seconds left in the second quarter to help give the Rams a one-point lead at halftime.

The Rams’ offense finally came alive during a five-play, 66-yard drive that was highlighted by Matthew Stafford’s 40-yard pass to receiver Tutu Atwell.

Stafford’s 12-yard pass to Puka Nacua moved the ball to the one-yard line, setting up Williams’ touchdown.

Stafford has completed 10 of 15 passes for 85 yards, with an interception.

On the final play of the half, Justin Herbert connected on a 54-yard Hail Mary pass to Ladd McConkey just in front of the goal line after the ball bounced out of Quentin Johnston’s hands as time expired.

🏈 Chargers 9, Rams 3 — 1:55 left in second quarter

Cameron Dicker kicked his third field goal — this time from 41 yards — to extend the Chargers’ lead.

The Chargers took more than 6 minutes 30 seconds off the clock during an 11-play, 58-yard drive.

Justin Herbert started the drive with a 21-yard pass to Quentin Johnston and also completed a 15-yard pass to tight end Oronde Gadsden II.

Herbert has completed 12 of 17 passes for 122 yards.

🏈 Chargers 6, Rams 3 — 10:06 left in the second quarter

Cameron Dicker put the Chargers ahead with a 46-yard field goal.

The Chargers used eight plays to drive 47 yards before the field goal.

Justin Herbert completed a 15-yard pass to receiver Tre’ Harris and then, on a flea-flicker, connected with tight end Charlie Kolar for 20 yards to the Rams’ 36-yard line.

Herbert has completed eight of 13 passes for 76 yards.

The Rams have not achieved a first down on their first four possessions.

🏈 Chargers 3, Rams 3 — Four seconds left in first quarter

Cameron Dicker tied the score with a 34-yard field goal.

The Chargers drove 56 yards in nine plays to set up the field goal.

The Rams appeared to stop the drive when safety Kam Curl sacked Justin Herbert on third down, but the Rams were penalized for defensive holding.

On the next play, Herbert found Ladd McConkey for a 30-yard completion, and a few plays later connected with Quentin Johnston for 10 yards.

The drive stalled at the 15 when Rams linebacker Nate Landman stopped running back Omarion Hampton for a one-yard loss on third down.

🏈 Rams 3, Chargers 0 — 5:42 left in the first quarter

Brandon McManus kicked a 30-yard field goal to give the Rams the early lead.

Rams safety Quentin Lake set up the field goal by intercepting a Justin Herbert pass and returning it 46 yards to the Chargers’ 18-yard line.

The Rams, however, could not convert the turnover into a touchdown.

After Matthew Stafford completed two short passes to Puka Nacua, his third-down pass fell incomplete.

🏈 Chargers 0, Rams 0 — 11:28 left in the first quarter

The Chargers went three and out on the game’s first possession, but they got the ball right back when Tarheeb Still intercepted a pass from Matthew Stafford.

The pick gave the Chargers the ball at the Rams’ 47 and extended the Rams’ streak of 13 consecutive opening drives without a touchdown.

But the Chargers couldn’t do anything with the turnover, going three and out for the second time following. Trent McDuffie, playing after missing last week with a groin injury, tackled Kimani Vidal for a loss on the possession.

Rams players are increasingly aware of the risks of playing their sport, especially as it relates to chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, a neurodegenerative brain disease.

But they try not to think about it.

This week, a Boston University study was published that analyzed the medical records of more than 2,000 deceased former NFL players. The study estimated that 74.5% of them likely had CTE.

Defensive tackle Aaron Donald, 35, played 10 seasons before retiring after the 2023 season. He rejoined the Rams this season. When asked about the study and CTE, Donald said, “That’s a real thing.”

This is not the perfect spiral the Chargers were expecting. It’s a downward one. Week after week, loss after loss.

They are 0-6 for the first time since 2000, back when Jim Harbaugh was one of their quarterbacks, not their head coach. So even though they’re rested after a week off, they’re also on edge heading into Sunday’s game against the Rams.

On the outside, speculation has been swirling for weeks about what the sinking franchise can do — not so much to stop its current slide, as the season is already shot, but moving forward beyond this year. So far, the switch to Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator has been disastrous, and there’s even conjecture the team could look to trade quarterback Justin Herbert, who has gone eight consecutive games with at least as many interceptions as touchdowns in each.

Rams cornerback Trent McDuffie, who missed last week’s win over the Raiders because of a groin injury, is active for Sunday’s game against the Chargers.

As expected, kickers Joshua Karty and Brandon McManus are also both active for the game. Offensive lineman Coleman Shelton, who was limited in practice Friday with a hip injury, is also active.

Here are the Rams’ inactives:

Here are the Chargers’ inactives:

SoFi Stadium is going strong. The deal that built it is in a smoldering heap.

A decade ago, Rams owner Stan Kroenke and Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts Jr. happily dug ceremonial shovels into the dirt at Hollywood Park, celebrating the impending construction of the world’s most expensive stadium.

Now they’re on opposite sides of a court fight that has spilled onto the Nov. 3 ballot and threatens further development on the nearly 300-acre site.

The feud started over billboards. Last year, Inglewood signed a deal with WOW Media to put electronic advertising all around the city — 60 digital signs carrying 108 screens. Some are bus-shelter-sized kiosks, while others are giant street displays up to 22 feet tall and positioned on sidewalks and medians.

The Rams finally found it.

For one game at least, running backs Kyren Williams and Blake Corum each carried the ball nearly the same number of times, rushed for nearly the same amount of yards and each scored a touchdown last week in the Rams’ victory over the Las Vegas Raiders.

“We have similarities running the ball but also differences too,” Williams said. “And I think that’s what makes that 1-2 punch everybody keeps talking about.”

An analysis of the medical records of more than 2,000 deceased former NFL players estimates that a staggering 74.5% of them likely had chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a neurodegenerative brain disease tied to high-impact sports such as football.

Boston University has been on the forefront of diagnosing CTE for years and spearheaded the new study. Yet because the brain disease can be diagnosed only after death, conclusions from previous studies were marred by selection bias — a systematic error that occurs when those chosen for analysis do not properly represent the target population.

Eliminating selection bias was the impetus for the study published Wednesday in the medical journal JAMA Network Open that combined data from 2,362 players who died from 2008 to 2023. The total included 396 players who donated their brains and National Death Index records of 1,966 deceased players who didn’t. Nearly 94% of the donated brains had CTE.

Although All-Pro safety Derwin James Jr. was placed on injured reserve Saturday after missing the last three games because of a hamstring injury, the winless Chargers are coming off their bye week with some much-needed reinforcements.

Wide receivers Ladd McConkey (concussion) and Tre’ Harris (hamstring) and offensive tackle Joe Alt (neck) are all set to play Sunday against the Rams at SoFi Stadium.

“It’s a good thing,” Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh said. “It’s good to have them back out there. Good work put in. Feel good about the preparation and feel like we’re in a good place, ready to go.”

Sean McVay said it at least twice.

Once last Monday and again on Wednesday to reporters, and who knows how many times he’s repeated it to convince himself and his players since.

“I couldn’t care less about what their record is,” McVay said.

He was talking, of course, about the winless Chargers, the Rams’ opponent on Sunday at SoFi Stadium.

The Rams are 3-4, the Chargers 0-6.